“Alien, Immoral, Un-Ghanaian”: Zongo and Inner-City Secretariat Defends Hardline Anti-LGBTQ+ Stance Before Parliament

Accra, Ghana - Declaring LGBTQ+ practices “alien, immoral, and a direct threat to Ghanaian values,” Zongo communities across the country have taken a firm and uncompromising stand in support of the controversial Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.

That position, shaped through extensive nationwide consultations, was forcefully defended before Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs by the Coordinator of the Zongo and Inner-City Development Secretariat, Alhaji Babalamie Abu Sadat, who appeared on behalf of Zongo stakeholders across Ghana.

According to the Secretariat, consultations with Imams, Zongo Chiefs, Muslim women, and youth groups revealed a unified stance rooted in religious conviction, cultural identity, and moral concern. Presenting these views to the committee, Alhaji Abu Sadat emphasized that the position represents a collective voice from Zongo communities nationwide.

“We are speaking with one voice,” he told the committee. “Our communities see these practices as alien to our culture, contrary to our religion, and harmful to the moral fabric of our society.”

Stakeholders, he explained, maintain that same-sex acts are strictly prohibited (haram) in Islam, referencing the Qur’anic account of Prophet Lut (Lot) as a clear basis for religious opposition. They also reiterated that within Islamic jurisprudence, marriage is exclusively defined as a union between a man and a woman—an institution they insist must be protected.

While acknowledging that same-sex attraction may exist as a personal internal struggle, Alhaji Abu Sadat conveyed to the committee that acting on such impulses is widely regarded as a violation of both religious teachings and societal norms.

Framing the issue as a critical moral and cultural concern, he argued that the bill is essential to preserving what he described as the “divinely ordained” family structure and safeguarding Ghana’s cultural heritage. “Marriage, as defined in our tradition, is between a man and a woman. This is a value we must preserve,” he stated.

He further cautioned lawmakers about what stakeholders described as increasing foreign pressure to normalize LGBTQ+ practices in Ghana, warning that such influence is incompatible with the country’s values and traditions. “The moral and social well-being of our society must be protected,” Hon. Abu Sadat stressed during his submission, urging Parliament to act decisively.

The Secretariat maintains that there is overwhelming consensus among Zongo communities across the country in support of the bill and in opposition to same-sex acts. It reaffirmed that its position remains clear, united, and unwavering: the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill must be passed without hesitation.

By Osman Dawda